A proposal to allow the hunting and trapping of bobcats in California is open for public comment.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife will take comments on the proposal through Nov. 1.
A bill passed by the legislature in October 2019 imposed a moratorium on hunting, trapping or otherwise taking bobcats in California. The legislation also required the department to develop a bobcat population monitoring project before hunting could resume.
The draft management plan, on which the department seeks comment, proposes lifting the moratorium on hunting or trapping bobcats.
The project found that the bobcat population in California is healthy and holding steady at an estimated 62,000 animals.
If hunting were resumed, tag fees could help fund conservation efforts, the draft report said.
Here’s what to know about bobcats in California:
What to know about bobcats
Bobcats are “small to medium-sized cats with muscular bodies, distinct markings, and a short bobbed tail,” the agency said. They typically weigh 12 to 25 pounds.
They are mostly carnivorous, feeding on rabbits, rodents, wood rats, porcupines, raccoons, fawns, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects. They also hunt small livestock, such as chickens.
Bobcats usually have litters of up to three kittens between April and July in dens in caves, trees or hollow logs.
Where are bobcats found in California?
Bobcats are found throughout the state in habitats ranging from vegetation such as chaparral, brushy low and mid-elevation conifers, oak, pinyon-juniper woodlands and forests, to riparian and desert environments, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
They prefer areas with dense brush coverage.
Bobcats also live on the edges of human development, the National Park Service said.
“The possible abundance of food resources in these areas may be the reason for this type of behavior,” rangers said.
Do bobcats pose a threat?
Bobcats are solitary and elusive, and try to avoid humans, the state said. They do not pose a threat to humans but may stalk pets and other small animals.
Since bobcats are normally active at sunset and at night, the late evening and early morning hours are the best times to spot them, the National Park Service said.
This story was originally published October 8, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "State seeks input on proposal to allow hunting, trapping of bobcats in California."
